Dark Hearts
by CrazyLittleKookoo
Summary: Trinity is the worlds most renowned bounty hunter, using the thrill of the hunt to tame her darkest side. But when her eccentric family calls her to the Carpathian Mountains, she finds the truth about her history and a new hunt. Dante Santos was about to walk into the sun, but then he heard a gun shot and a curse. Now he's hunting something more interesting than a mere vampire.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

1400 Carpathian Mountains

"I can hear them screaming." My voice was soft, but anger and fury burned behind my eyes. I couldn't stand this. The Turks were slaughtering everything in this land, we had to do something.

"We have our orders Cressida, we have to return." Marcus was resting on his brown stallion with a grim expression on his face, his armour glinted in the evening light. My leather and steel plated armour was itching my skin, I couldn't just sit here.

"I wont hear them cry for help and watch this land burn when I know I can do something." I hissed.

I shouldn't really snap at him, he was my right hand man, he stood by me, he felt the same way, but he had trouble breaking the rules.

"The Court have decreed, even Vlad has pulled away from the alliance. I believe he is following the saying 'keep thyself to thyself'. It is no longer our business or our duty to help the humans or Carpathians."

I sighed and even Marcus and the men with us looked grim. My black mare was crow hopping under me, she knew there was a war going on and she wanted to take action. I patted her mane soothingly.

"Honour, duty or neither, it is our humane right to aid them."

"We're not human Cressida. Lets go home, your daughter is probably missing you."

The thought of my three year old daughter brought a stab to my heart. She was so young and smart, so beautiful. "There are children as young and younger than my daughter, screaming right now for help as they die. I would not leave my daughter anymore than I would one of them. Either you follow me or I go alone. Decide." I threw the last word at the twenty men in our group. They had been following me for years, under my command. But still maybe this would break us and I'd have to stand on my own.

Most of the men chuckled, drew their swords and lowered the visors on their helmets.

"You're not getting rid of us that easy Cressida." Caern said in a gruff voice. The others cheered in agreement, gearing themselves ready for battle.

I smiled and drew my visor down on my peaked helmet, the only thing the Turks would see before their death would be the carved demons face on my helmet as I slaughtered them.

"Kill the Turks, save as many as you can. Split up into groups of two, meet back up at the village to the east of here, cover as much ground as possible."

Within moments we were moving through the forests with silent, deadly stealth. We didn't even have to ask who went with who, the groups were decided years ago, Marcus was always with me. The first group of Turks we came across were thinking about where to start digging, my arrows pierced their skulls before they even looked up, Marcus rode ahead on his horse, I heard a scream and his mental shout.

I caught up in time to see him kill two Turks with his blade, the other one was crawling to a dugout pit where I could see a blistering arm, I could hear the woman's screams from beneath the earth, her mates mental cry as he tried to find strength against the high beating sun. With anger and fear beating at my heart I swung off my horse and landed on the Turks back I stabbed through his back to his heart with my hidden blade, as he fell to the side I started to help Marcus fill in the pit quickly with the crude metal shovels the Turks had been using.

We didn't answer any of the calls verbally, didn't let anyone see us, kept our helmets down so if they did they only saw carved metal. We were breaking the rules, but we had to help, we were warriors and protectors, we couldn't watch people get murdered and do nothing.

The sun sank faster as we worked, many times we were too late and only killed the Turks for revenge, but there were a few times when we got there in time, they were either dug up and we were able to get them to shelter or put them back in the ground. The clouds gathered and I could hear the Carpathians rising early, seeking refuge and retaliating. My heart skipped a beat when we came to the village.

Smoke and flames everywhere. Women, men and children screaming, some were hung by ropes and pikes. The Turks were all over the village and they were torturing people, locking them in blazing buildings, raping women and children, carving them up like a dinner, skinning them, branding them. Every torture imaginable. I had seen monsters in my life, as bad and worse than the vampire, but this was humanity on the line of being demons. Fire blazed in my soul.

"Spill their blood. Save the ones you can and give mercy to those you cant. Slay the Turks and traitors and we shall be gone before the Carpathians come. Go." I sent the message to all of my men as they arrived, the message winged through the air verbally and mentally, reaching each and every one of them, linking us together. I was moving with one intent. To kill. Blood coloured my vision and the deaths became a blur as I fired my arrows and sliced my blades. I saved the ones I could, but I was disappointed I couldn't save more.

We managed to save less than half the village by the time we left. We were ravaged by their cries and screams, they were alive but they were the ones who'd have to deal with the aftermath. Like us, when the Court's got hold of us there would be hell to pay for helping people not of the Alliance.

I was kneeling with Marcus at my right, shock. The Court was not happy. Yet they couldn't fully condemn us, it was our duty after all to protect and save people, no matter what species or race they were from. They had taken our armour and weapons, my men stood lined up along the far wall, the cave was dull with the flickering of a few candles. Three men and two women sat on a stone throne in front of us, they were said to be the strongest of us, the oldest and power fullest. Still, all we knew came from books, the books were normally written by the people who won wars anyway. I didn't believe everything I read.

"You broke a rule, Cressida. That is not like you, or you Marcus." Lesil said as she flicked her long red hair around her curvaceous body, her satin red dress delicately composed. Not a wrinkle in sight, not on any of them.

"Me and my men took a vow to save any life, that will forever apply to everyone. That is the example I set for my daughter and her daughters and theirs and so on for eternity. I will not regret my decision even if you disagree with it."

I met their eyes, they all understood, except one.

"We are here to govern, to ensure we survive, Vlad foresaw the plight of his people, and of other races, they all knew change was coming, instead of asking for our help they wished to deal with it themselves. We shall honour their decision and stay out of their business. You will place us all in danger with your actions, you will kill your men, innocent good working men, who have given their lives for you and others over time without hesitation. If you continue to be reckless, perhaps your child is not safe in your care, we will take Sarintha away from you to protect her." Vulcar's words scraped across my ears, his threat to my daughter was loud and clear. His inky black hair and sharp features reminded me of how malicious he could be.

I hissed and climbed to my feet, seeing red again. Marcus jumped up to restrain me.

"Vulcar, you have every right to be angry at us, but if you ever threaten my wife with the abduction of our daughter, or any threat to my family ever again, I will not hesitate in retaliating." Marcus soothed me, whispering in my mind to help me gain control.

"I agree." Lesil said with a glare at Vulcar. "You do not threaten a mother by taking away her child, what did you expect? You sent our Guardians into a land where war is raging, of course they are going to intervene, that is nature. Just as it is nature if the races diminish from this earth. It would not be the first time it has happened. But that is the way it is."

I acknowledged her help by bowing my head, I took Marcus's hand gratefully and smiled at him from the corner of my eye.

"True, but many of the races have withdrawn requesting we no longer aide them and they no longer aide us. Cressida, Marcus, Guardians, I am afraid to avoid a political or species war we will have to leave them to their own devices, we will not enter their lands or intervene unless absolutely necessary." Alta said as he swept his brown hair out of his face, his light green eyes warm and wise.

I knew he was right, but being a Guardian wasn't something you chose, you were born into it, the need to protect and save everything and everyone ingrained on your very soul. We would have to learn to ignore some cries for help it appeared.

"Still, the Carpathians are dangerous. They are constantly on the verge of turning vampire, the female population is depleting and they are a threat. It is obviously a clear sign that they will not return to Court or be privy to the Alliance. Nature will erase them and we will no longer have to deal with them and their personal demons." Vulcar spat on the floor, he always did have a problem with the Carpathians, as much as I was curious about that, it wasn't my place to know. But I had befriended the Carpathians, I would defend them verbally if not physically.

"Say what you will, Vulcar. But we have our own demons to deal with, or do you forget our origins? We are not the saints of the earth. We also have special talents and skills granted to our people like the Carpathians. We are cousin races. Marissa had visions, like Vlad, she foresaw an alliance, a strong bond being made with the Carpathians in the future. It would not be easy she said, and many trials awaited us and them. But a link shall be made and our two races joined."

The Carpathians would thrive, they would come back from the brink of extinction because I knew they were strong enough. Just like the other races out there, just because we had an Alliance and were united, didn't mean we were in control of everything.

"If I remember correctly, she also said that bond would be made by one of your family line, a daughter of yours in the future. A bond made in blood, a bonding of souls. That sounds very much like a Carpathian ritual, of Lifemates." He hissed the word and spat on the floor again. "It is impossible for our species to join, our blood would kill each other on a cellular level, and it would bring great pain to our race. I believe that the females of your future family will need to be monitored, protected, guarded by us. We do not have Lifemates. We have our Fated. The Carpathians have no right to steal our woman to salvage themselves."

That left the cave silent, everyone was contemplating what he had said. In a way it was true, our men and women were like the Carpathian's Lifemates, we had tried to exchange blood before in the past for healing and the result had been death for both participants. Our people were Fated and bound in this life and the next, we found each other and worked together, we could not work without the other and slowly we perish if one is slain. But I still did not like Vulcar's suggestion of monitoring my future family. He was up to something, but I couldn't argue what because I did not know what it was. I needed to find a way to protect my daughters and theirs, even the Carpathians.

Marcus squeezed my hand, he had a bad feeling about this as well.

The man on the end with deep brown skin and braided black hair clinging to his back, tapped the tribal tattoos on his arms in contemplation. "We will have to discuss this situation at another time when we all gather. For now we shall adjourn." Diego locked his eyes with me and nodded slightly, he didn't like where Vulcar was going with this either. But only time would tell how bad things were really.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Present day

Huntington Beach, California

My boots clicked along the planks of the pier. My brown leather duster jacket was flapping around me in the wind coming off the sea. I kept my dark brown cowboy hat lifted slightly, I pulled the brim down and the hat settled securely on my head. My brown hair flew in the breeze, I really needed to tie it up or get it cut short, having it down to the middle of my back was getting annoying. My sharp blue eyes took in everything behind my sunglasses.

The people on the pier were leaning over the fencing to look at the crashing waves and sinking sun as the days sky slowly filled with stars and darkened. Families walked up and down, children laughing and nagging their parents for ice-cream from the shop at the end of the pier. I clocked the man standing at the end of the pier, leaning against the banister and smoking.

I smiled as I recognised his old striped shirt, his ripped jeans and scuffed boots. his bulky biker jacket couldn't hide the bulge at the small of his back. This would be risky, there was a lot of bystanders. I moved my hand away from my holster on my hip, I'd try and do this without sending any bullets flying.

Only I was unlucky, before I was even five feet away he casually turned, tapping ash off his cigarette to the floor, our eyes locked. Shit!

In a flash I dashed forward, my fist getting ready and my other hand preparing to go either for my pepper spray or gun. He dived sideways, and did the worst thing I needed in this situation. It turned into a worst case scenario, as he grabbed a young African girl and pulled her away from her family. He held her up high and pulled his gun out, aiming it at her head. He had a hostage, he had the leverage.

Pandemonium struck, the girl screamed and eventually froze in fear, the family became hysterical, people either stood and watched shocked or ran in fear. I stayed perfectly still.

"Nobody fucking move! Don't come closer! Or I'll shoot."

"I know you will. But who are you going to shoot? You shoot the girl and I have no reason to hesitate. You shoot me well, then you'll have no one chasing you across states. You could walk right on out of here."

Richard Mason was wanted for rape, murder, theft, fraud, twenty five missed court dates, avoidance of capture, human slavery auctions and many more. All in all, he was a bad person. There was a bounty on his head for $2600. A couple other bounty hunters had gone after him and had gotten killed or landed in hospital, I was called in cause I was the best. So I would not get a dead kid put on my record, conscience or my soul.

I saw his green eyes narrow as he considered his options, then something clicked in that shaved head of his. I saw his grip tighten, that was bad.

"Why miss Singer I do think you're right."

His arm flexed and the little girls body sailed over the railings, then she plummeted into the sea. I jumped forward, smacking Mason's head into the wood behind him and knocking the gun away before he could fire it, then in one move dived off the side of the pier into the choppy waves. My hat flew off and landed on the piers decking, my glasses fell into the sea seconds before I did.

Cold blackness surrounded me, I couldn't hear the people shouting above the sound of the crashing waves. I could see the little girl though, struggling to keep her head above water, the waves were pulling her towards the piers pillars, if she hit them she'd be messed up. With strong strokes and kicks I swam as fast and as hard as I could.

Her head went under water and I pulled her up with a strong arm wrapped around her tiny chest. I left my arm secured on her so that I could pull her with me as I swam, keeping her afloat on her back so she could gasp in air. It was hard going but eventually the pull of the waves lessened, I could feel the calmer waves, then the crashing ones as I stumbled on to the shore. Sand sinking under my feet. I pulled the crying child with me till I crouched on the sand checking her over for injuries

People were running to us, lifeguards, paramedics, police, the child's family and curious bystanders. Mason was long gone by now.I waved off their worries and the families enthusiastic thanking. I walked out of the group with a sigh. I had made a mistake, I shouldn't have confronted him in public, I had gotten hasty because he knew I wouldn't normally go after him in the publics eye. I'd saved that little girl but if I didn't catch Mason soon, he'd find more victims.

I walked up a ramp to the sea front. A tiny tug on my coat drew my eyes down at the little girl peering up at me with blazing eyes. "Here, this is yours."

She held up my black cowboy hat, I took it gratefully and ran my fingers along the crocodile teeth secured around the base with leather strips. It had been a gift from an old friend in Australia. I'd travelled all over the world, I had cherished memories of each place but I couldn't settle. I had to keep moving.

"Thanks kid." My Texas accent hitched my words slightly. I wasn't born a Texan, I'd just been there for a while and had picked up the accent. Normally my voice was plain, but accents from all over the world influenced my words some days. I remember having the uncanny skill as a child.

"Are you going after him?"

I plopped the hat on my wet head and brushed off the dripping water on my front. I grinned from under the hats brim. "Aye lil' girl, I'm going to hunt him down and take him to the authorities. You stay safe now and take care lil' miss." I grinned at her and tilted my hat. Playing the whole cowgirl thing up for her girly giggles. She enjoyed my little show and pretended to tilt her own imaginary hat at me in a farewell.

I walked back to my car that was parked two miles away, I'd picked up Mason's trail and walked the rest on foot tracking him.

I unlocked the car doors when I reached and fished for my phone which I had thankfully left in the car, or it would have had a swim with me as well. I pressed speed dial and immediately the call was picked up.

"I'm guessing it's not good news?" A deep rough voice asked.

"No its not." I uttered climbing into my car still dripping wet. "I cornered him at the pier, he chucked a girl over the side so I dove after her. I'm guessing he's halfway at the airport by now. Alert the airports, he'll be out of the country, he knows I can track him across states easily, he'll be bound for a country with a not so well known town. Check the flights at the nearest airport, ones that are leaving immediately and check emergency bookings. He'll be on the first leaving straight away as soon as. We wont be able to catch him straight away, he'll use a fake ID and the terminal's will be too hectic at this time of day. I'll have to follow him till I get close enough again." I paused for breath and heaved a sigh in frustration. This target was good, he knew his stuff and how to hide in plain sight. No wonder they'd hired me, I was the best but even this was turning trying.

"Listen, Cooper, I'm sorry I screwed up. I'll catch this guy if it's the last thing I do."

He chuckled on the other end of the phone. "Relax Trinity, you'll get him in due time. Remember what's the most important rule in hunting 'em down?"

"No matter how long it takes wait and persevere. It takes one mistake and one chance, you or them."That was the first rule he taught me in this job. There was another mantra that he taught us to live by as well, 'if you can save just one life, it's all worth it.' Yeah Cooper was full of zen life teachings to help guide us on the right path. I was expecting him to start telling me to use the force and start acting like Yoda. I respected him.

"Good you remember that. Head to your hotel room and get ready to move out. We'll book your flight once we find his trail, he'll be using one of the fake ID's and credit cards, we know what we're looking for so take it easy. don't get anxious, that's when you start making mistakes."

"Yeah, okay old man. Stay in touch." I called into my phone.

"You too senorita."

I closed my phone and started up the car. I needed to pack up and head out. Get on the hunt while the trail was still fresh. I wasn't going to let Mason get away. No matter how long I had to track him down.

3 months later in the Carpathian Mountains

I was sooooo bored…I needed something to do. I would die from boredom. Even my cousins were being dull. We were all staying here for a family reunion. Everyone was here, well nearly everyone, just one cousin away, I wasn't even sure if she'd come. She was always soooooo busy. She needed to relax some more. The minute she got here I'd be dragging her to the lake for skinny dipping, hehe just like the old days when we were kids, then we could have a expensive meal, then I'd drag her to a club and after that we could crash in our luxury paid for beds and have the best nights sleep we ever will have…so far.

Now if only she'd hurry up and answer my phone calls. I skipped down the stairs in my designer heels, they were so cute. They matched my gold necklace that was tied around my neck, my red skirt swished around my knees and my blouse made me feel like a little country lass. I loved clothes.

I snapped my phone shut and stormed over to my mother who was standing by the receptionist. "She's not answering her phone Mum!"

Mum turned around and grinned at me, flipping her salt and pepper hair over one shoulder. "Well Katie, we cant make her pick up. Lord knows where that girl is now anyway. She'll call you when she's not busy. Don't worry about her." Mum laughed as she walked off to see Andrew in the lounge. My sisters were in the ballroom, trying to dance gracefully, they reminded me of penguins.

I huffed and walked out onto the porch. I pressed redial, when I had no answer I tried again, then again, and again. I finally gave up and snapped my phone shut, waving it at the sky. "Where ever you are you better pick up the phone. This isn't funny anymore Trinity!" I blinked in surprise at the couple looking at me curiously. I grinned, "Sorry if I disturbed your evening." I tucked my phone in my pocket.

"Quite alright, boyfriend trouble is it?" The woman asked as she swung on the arm of her partner.

"Not quite. More like a no show cousin. I mean she travels all over the world for her job, never stays in one place, then when the family gets together no one can get a hold of her. Not unless you're her boss."

I grinned and registered their amused looks.

"Sorry, I'm Katie." I stuck my hand out in greeting, finally remembering to introduce myself.

The woman laughed and took my hand, "Joie. And this is my husband Traian. I take it you're here for the family reunion being held here?"

"Yep I am, it would be even better if I could track my cousin down. Is it really obvious we're all related?"

"Well you share similar traits and word travels fast around here. May I ask why you're having a reunion here in the Carpathian Mountains?"

I grinned even more, a mischievous twinkle lighting my eyes. "Well I don't know a lot about it, but Mum tells me somewhere down the line of my family, we can trace our ancestors here. We're all over the world, but there's this huge fascination with the tales Grampa and Uncle Leo tells us. Its really fascinating, but completely illogical, definitely a fairy tail."

"And what is that tale?" Traian asked nicely.

Awwwww, they were such a cute couple, Joie was petite and curvy with muscle and a cap of dark brown hair framing her sweet face with large grey eyes. Traian was a great match for her, dark hair to his shoulders, a strong build, angular face, eyes so dark I could mistake them for black. He definitely had the tall dark and handsome thing going for him. In fact a lot of the locals had the similar looks, maybe they were all related? I hope there was no incest. That would be just gross. But if I could find one of those charming locals who wasn't a dull boring rock and even the ones who weren't were already married to beautiful women. It wasn't fair. I wanted MY prince charming. Where was he?

"Just some old tale about our ancestors being fearless warriors, who stood against the Turks, then there's the stories of them fighting against beasts, monsters, the fictional. Apparently they guarded a secret of the earth, then after years of battle their magic was taken from them and they became cursed. Like I said fairytales, but we're playing it up for the kids, Trinity would be loving this if she was here. She was always digging into the past, and she loves the fairytales, things that go bump in the night."

I sighed and stared up at the moon, as if it had all the answers like when we were all children.

"Well that's a very odd story for a family to remember." Traian murmured.

"Well I don't know if the monsters are true, a few thousand years ago, who knows what existed, history can forget some things but not everything. The warriors were true though, our family has fighters from all parts of the world. Trinity is a testament to the past, if we were in the past I'm certain she'd be a warrior leading armies. She'd probably take on Genghis Khan if she had the chance to."

"Joie are you coming in?" I turned to look at the young man behind me. Dark hair arranged over his head and similar grey eyes that matched Joie. My breath hitched and that charming face smiled back at me.

"I'm coming now Jubal." Joie replied, smiling.

"And I see you've made a friend. I'm Jubal."

I shook his hand and tried not to blush. "I'm Katie."

I glanced down at his hand and nearly giggled, wasn't a talk-less rock and not married according to his ring-less finger. Wait till I told my sisters, I had met my prince charming. My mouth froze opening halfway, my phone was ringing. It was playing the Rocky theme tune. Yay Trinity!

I opened the phone and answered smiling wider than ever. "Trinity! You called back. Where are you, are you coming?"

I heard a few huffed noises and a few banging noises. It took me a while to realise it wasn't slamming doors making the noise. "Katie….-op…calling….eeee."

"OH my god." I gasped as the static voice told me to stop bugging her.

I ran back into the inn with a confused trio following from outside.

"OH MY GOD! MUM! UNCLE LEO!" I ran to my family calling for them at the top of my voice as panic set in. Half the inns patrons watched me as I frantically informed them. "I got Trinity on the phone. And there's gunfire!"

I guess I was the only one grinning, for some odd reason everyone looked shocked and stunned, Uncle Leo looked annoyed and exasperated.

"Katie let me work!" We all heard Trinity scream down the phone line as she hung up. I knew what that meant, if she had called back, even to just tell me off. That meant she'd eventually come here, mission accomplished. I still couldn't stop myself from calling her back. I kept trying even though I was certain she wouldn't answer.

I ducked for cover behind a cop car, the windows glass shattering behind me as bullets whizzed into it. Damn that Richard Mason! Wanted dead or alive, I was considering handing him over with his head on a platter at this rate. He wasn't the one shooting at me, no he was too smart for that. I had nearly had him, only he'd lead me straight into the middle of a cop/gang fight. He'd run off and I'd gotten caught in the crossfire. Took me a while to convince the cops I was on their side, the gang was having fun targeting me as well, seeing as my phone kept going off and giving away my position. I was going to kill Katie when I saw her next.

"Will you shut that thing off!" One of the cops snapped at me as he fired over the hood of his car.

"Yeah because I so have the time to do that." I snapped back, ducking as a bullet skimmed passed where my head had been. "Bugger this, haven't you got any heavier guns than these damn pistols?" I asked in annoyance.

"Yeah, firearm powered rifles, the heavy artillery, but it's in the trunk, that's too dangerous. If you try to pop the boot they'll take you down."

His warning fell on deaf ears and a grin graced my lips. Finally, some handy weapons. "Whatever hoss, try to cover my back will ya." I stood up and stepped up to the boot of the car. The cops around me cursed and fired more, trying to distract the gangs, bullets whizzed at me, slamming into the metal of the car with a loud bang. None hit me, just gave me a scare by getting close, that meant the gang was firing blindly, they were afraid they were going to get caught. Oh and they were.

I lifted the lid of the boot and smiled down at the 7600 rifle. I was in love, but it wasn't as good as my Winchester, or Smith & Wesson, or my Colts. Yeah I liked my guns.

I lifted the beauty out with gentle hands. A bullet whizzed past my ear, making my hair blow in my face. Now I was mad.

There was three officers and me, across the street, hiding behind a wrecked Camaro and behind a phone box where five men. All heavily armed and big muscled. They wore the local gang colours with twining snake tattoos curling up their biceps. I'd show them how to be fearless and fight like you mean it.

Without hesitation I brought the rifle up and aimed carefully, in seconds I pulled the first shot. The man standing behind the telephone box fell backwards, a wound on his stomach, the glass shattering. I quickly swung the rifle and gave three quick pulls of the trigger, the three men hit the floor, one with a fatal wound, I turned to the last man who wasn't in my line of fire yet. I frowned and got down on one knee. All I could see was his hand as he waved it over the top of the car, firing blindly. I got down on my stomach and took aim under the car, the bang of the gun was nearly quiet compared to the mans screams as the bullet passed through the tendons in his ankle, he dropped, letting go of the gun and sending it skittering across the floor.

The cops stared at me in shock as I placed the rifle back in the boot. One even crossed himself.

"Listen I gotta go, I need to try and catch this guys trail. If you need me for any evidence contact my boss, Diego and Cooper, THE original bounty hunters, they aren't that hard to get on the phone."

I walked down the street waving my hand in farewell, I bent and scooped up my hat from where it rested by a bullet destroyed post box. I needed to catch this guy, I was getting really pissed off he kept slipping away when I was inches from snatching him and hauling his ass back to Montana State County.

My phone started ringing again. Then again, maybe I'd kill Katie first. She was always bugging me. This time I turned my phone off.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I was leaving my vehicle and locking the car doors. I was walking through a old nature path, I had managed to close the distance separating me and Richard Mason. He had run for Romania and now I was tracking him through the wilderness that was spread out through the entire region. About an hour ago I found the car he had hijacked, abandoned in a grove of trees. The poor man he had stolen the car from was in hospital with three knife wounds and a broken leg. That had earned me the countries aide in his hunt, they also wanted him behind bars now.

He had also gone through Poland, Ukraine and Hungary leaving a mess behind of bodies and people on life support. I was so getting annoyed, I needed to catch him and I couldn't believe he was still evading capture. I was the best, but at this rate my reputation would be in trashes, even worse though was that in my failure to capture him more people got hurt, more people died.

I crouched down by a boulder and ran my hand across the long strands of grass. Looking for the one thing that had caught my eye as I drove by. My hand felt the lightest touch of a feather wrap around my hand in a thin line. I brought my hand up and tilted my hat back so I could look at it more clearly. The thin line of fabric fluttered in the breeze. It was like a thread of a jumper had been caught and pulled off. It was a light blue, dimly I recalled the last reported sighting of Richard Mason.

Hiking boots, jeans, a light and dark blue striped hunting shirt and a baseball cap. The blue thread danced in the wind again, my gut instinct told me it was definitely from the shirt he was wearing. I eyed the mountain range on my right, to my left there was a raging forest, trees sprouted up everywhere and wild animals howled as they hunted the night.

I stalked to my range rover and grabbed the map on my backseat. Spreading it out on the hood of my car I looked at how far the forest reached and how long the mountain range stretched. Considering the information I had on Richard Mason, he had spent his youth as a rock climber and as a wilderness ranger. A fool would climb the mountains, especially with what looked like a storm crouching over the sky in the night. In the woods though, tracks were more easily left behind and I was adept at finding them. Knowing Mason, he would take the risk to try and shake me off his tail.

I fished in my pack for my satellite phone. I flipped it open and dialled.

"Hello, this is the abode of sex on legs, how can I help you sweetness?" I rolled my eyes at Diego as he answered with a sexy drawl.

"Put it away you fiend, I'm checking in. I found a trail and I have a feeling he's heading for the mountains. The range is called the Carpathian mountains and he's heading in from the south eastern side."

"And you aren't thinking about following him of course are you?"

My silence was answer enough. He sighed heavily. "Trinity! Don't you dare, that's an order and I don't feel like filling in a post mortem form and phoning your parents to say your idiocy got you killed after I promised them I wouldn't let that happen."

Now it was my turn to sigh, I leaned against the car and eyed the peak of the mountains. "So what brilliant plan of attack would you suggest.""According to his direction he's heading straight across the mountains, I'm guessing it'll take him around eighteen hours to clear it. He moves fast and he's an experienced climber. If you stick to the road, it will take you a few hours but you'll come out the other side of the mountains. My guess is he's heading for the small settlements, you've been so close up his ass he's had no time to restock, he's going to need supplies and that little place is his only option. If you head to the inn, Sam and Cooper can meet you there, they've got the blood hound. You can easily pick up this guys trail and the hound will just lead you to him."

"Yeah yeah, fine. But if I'm as close as you say I am, I could easily catch him and take him down. You know I have no problem surviving the wilds.""Trinity, for once in your life shut up and do as you're told. Head to the inn and be patient. You'll catch him."

I glared at the moon as it slowly peeked out from behind the clouds. "I should have caught him sooner Diego, then some people would be alive and unharmed."

I could practically hear him rubbing the frown lines on his forehead. "We can only do so much Trinity. Just bring this guy in, remember dead or alive, if you need to kill him do it. Forget we try to not kill, this guy isn't worth it. And we cant change the past, no matter how much we wish it.""And isn't that a shame." I climbed into the drivers side and slammed the door shut.

"Sure thing warrior woman. Just get your skinny ass to that inn within the next six hours or I'm sending Cooper and Sam to go looking for you instead."I chuckled as I started the car back up, throwing one more wistful glance at the mountains that rose up from the earth like majestic soldiers.

I loved the wild, the nature, there was something about it that just pulled me in, as though I was closer to it than most people. I still hated it that Katie referred to me as the Woman Tarzan on occasion, mostly because she was implying I was raised by apes. But just because I spent two weeks lost in Yellowstone forest and survived off the land, did not mean I swung from vines and screamed my joy in a deep voice.

But still, that was Katie for you. She was spontaneous, random and very sweet and lovable. She was what made my day brighten, I could get depressed doing my job, seeing nothing but the bad, and maybe I'd hit the bottle again, even though I was meant to be a reformed alcoholic, but a simple phone call from my persistent, nagging and annoying cousin, and you could guarantee she'd make me laugh and see hope again. She was a truly extraordinary woman, she deserved the best life she could get.

I smiled as I set the car in gear and set off for the inn where I would hopefully meet up with Sam and Cooper. I would have to treat my cousin when I saw her next, get her something nice, or do something extra special. I would think of it by the time I saw her, I was lucky if I saw my family once a few months. This job always had me on the move.

I was in love, love, love. The type of love that songs were about, I could hear that cheesy music playing in the back of my head._ It must be love, love, love. It's gotta be loooovve._

The last four weeks had been amazing, I practically spent every day with Jubal, we were inseparable at times. Even his sister liked me, heck I liked his other sister too, Gabrielle. It was my family I was concerned about. If Jubal thought he had a hard time winning over Uncle Leo and his two sons Alec and Mark, then he'd have a hell of a shock when he met Trinity.

Speaking of which I hadn't called her in nearly a day. Maybe this time she would answer. I flipped open my phone and dialled her number, I walked up to the glass windows in the hallway and stared out at the night, hmmm, looked like there was a storm heading our way.

I started tapping my foot on the eighth ring. Finally I heard it click to answer machine. Typical Trinity, she never left a message to say 'hey folks I'm busy, but if you leave a message after the beep I'll get back to ya'll. Beep!' No either you left her a message and if it was important enough for her, then she'd think about getting back to you. That gave me an idea.

"Hey Trinity," I began in a normal calm voice. "It's just me, you know little old Katie, your cousin. I think we're related down the line but you can never be too sure. I was just calling to see if you wanted to meet up and get coffee sometime, you know that's if your not too busy living your awesome life without me." I added a sniffle for affect. I could see Alec and Mark walk over to me from the restaurant section, grinning as they waved. I waved back and took a deep breath for the next part. "So how's- OH MY GOD! TRINITY THAT MAN IS GOING TO KILL ME! HE'S TRYING TO SLAUGHTER EVERYONE WITH A SPORK! TRINITY HELP!" I hung up and puffed my hair out of my face.

I grinned at Mark and Alec as they just looked at me with an odd look. Peeking around the room I realised that most of the patrons at the inn had stopped what they were doing to look at me oddly.

"What?" I asked and shrugged.

Alec chuckled. "I'm guessing you called Trinity."

"Si." I said as I let them walk me over to the bar. I was just about to order a Margarita when Jubal came running in from the back. People had started talking again but as he burst through the crowd towards me they stopped to watch, probably hoping for another show.

"Katie what happened? I heard you scream." He wasn't even panting though I'm sure he must've run for quite a bit. Impressive, he was in great shape.

"Relax Jubal." Mark said as he placed a bronzed hand on Jubal's shoulder. "That was just Katie trying to get my baby sisters attention on the phone. You'll find Katie screams a lot around her."

"Half the time none of it makes any sense." Alec added as he picked up his pint.

Jubal wrapped his arm around me and immediately my drink was forgotten. I pecked a kiss to his lips. "Sorry if I worried you."

He chuckled as he rubbed his strong hands in my back. "It's okay love, I'm just relieved. I heard you scream and my heart nearly stopped."I pouted and he raised a questioning eyebrow. "Nearly stopped?" I groused. "It should have stopped, evidently you weren't worried enough, I'll have to try harder next time."

Jubal laughed harder and pulled me in for a deeper kiss. If he wasn't holding me up I would have gladly slid to the floor like melted jelly. My toes curled as his tongue danced with mine. Wait till I got him upstairs. One of his hands reached up to circle my jaw, so he could tilt my head back and-

"And what do you think you're doing to my baby cousin?" Mark asked casually as he pulled Jubal back with a firm hand on his shoulder.

"If you want to keep your crowning glory you might want to stick to just kissing. If we find out you've done anything more than that, well I'm sure we can get Jimmy to lend us his goat emasculator."

Jubal stared at me. "They're not serious are they?"

I nodded my head and glared at my overbearing cousins, they acted like the older brothers I didn't need. "Jimmy said you could only use it for an emergency, like if I was getting hit on and the guy couldn't get the message of a swift kick between the legs."

"Katie, Katie, Katie…" Alec wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. "You are just like a lil' sister to us, to us more than a kiss is crossing the line. Unless of course he was gentleman enough to tie the knot with you, then by all means carry on behind closed doors. But until then, suck it up princess."

I stamped on his instep and was about to start screaming and shouting at the two blunder headed idiots. How dare they say things like that in front of Jubal, I didn't want him scared off, I really liked him, no I loved him. I didn't care if it was too soon for love, it was how strongly I felt about him and the thought of him walking away from me, or hobbling because the two dumb-ass's, made my heart ache and my chest restrict. Only my attention was caught by a bone rattling cough.

My eyes snapped over to Uncle Leo who was sat on a settee in front of a fire with Mom and her boyfriend Andrew. Mom was gently patting his back as he dry heaved and coughed up a lung nearly. His body shook with the force of it and his skin seemed grey with sickness.

"Must be a bad day." Mark muttered as he watched his father with sad eyes.

Concerned I rushed over to my uncle, knocking into people in my haste. I fell to my knees at his side and rested a hand on his knee. His face was purple and his breath was wheezing as he tried to get a breath between the insistent coughing. "It's okay Uncle Leo, I'll get your medicine for you."

Mentally slapping myself for not getting his medicine in the first place I sprinted up the stairs to his room in the inn. People were starting to look at him with pity, I hated pity, just because he was ill, really ill, didn't mean people needed to look at him with sad eyes as though he had already died. I knew now why Trinity never wanted people to pity her, she hated it when people looked at Uncle Leo like he was less of a man.

His room door was open and I found his medicine bottle on the bedside dresser. I took note of the mess of clothes on the floor for later, I would berate him for not tidying up when he could breath normally. In my mad dash back to Uncle Leo I paused at the bar to grab a cup of water from Slavica. Back at my uncles side two more men had gathered around him and were murmuring comforting things. One of them, I think his name was Gregori had a hand resting on Uncle Leo's shoulder as he gasped for air, it seemed to be helping because he coughed less than before and he could breath more easily.

"Here this'll make it better." I thrust the cup in his hands and popped the cap on the bottle, I tapped out three shiny pink tablets into my hand and handed them to Uncle Leo, he downed them in one gulp with the water. Wincing he sat back into the sofa cushions and rubbed a hand over his tired face, croaking a thank you to everyone as he tried to compose himself.

I stood up and faced Mark with a stoic face. While I was upstairs Jubal, Alec and Mark had joined Uncle Leo by the fire. They probably weren't aware of it but most of the people looking at Uncle Leo, well as I said it was always pity. It wasn't a bad emotion to feel for someone, but when you were always the other person on the receiving end of it….well, that was when pity became a disgusting word to you.

Mark pulled me into a hug. "Hey now, wipe that sad look off your face, you look like someone just ran over a puppy."

"That's a cruel thought." I muttered.

Gregori sat down on a chair in front of Uncle Leo, I hadn't told anyone yet, but I had my suspicions about him, he always had this strange atmosphere around him, strong, demanding, and something about him was very compelling, plus he smelled like herbs, nice herbs I might add. I was still betting he was a witch doctor, that would be so cool if it turned out he was.

"That was a nasty cough, I take it you've been diagnosed. Would you mind telling me what's wrong?"

Even his voice was like black magic, his words set us all on edge though.

Uncle Leo shifted, winced, then settled back into the chair. "It's nothing, only a minor illness. I should be fine in a few weeks."

Lies, it was all lies. But Gregori wasn't family, and if you weren't family you didn't need to know our business. Because if you pushed your nose into our life, you'd guarantee someone would cut it off. Probably Trinity in the pitch black of the night.

"Are you sure? Because I can always-"

I felt something in me snap, anger, frustration, denial and sadness, all of the yucky emotions that I normally pushed away, they made me catty and I knew that Gregori would be my target.

I surged to my feet and glared at Gregori, Mikhail, their wives who were lounging next to the chairs, I even glared at Jubal. "It's none of your business. So why the hell are you interested. Just leave us alone, we're nice to you, we respect your privacy, so leave us alone. We just want to be left alone." My voice was beginning to sound shrill as it raised in pitch.

Tears gathered on my lashes and my hands shook, their shocked and confused faces blurred. Uncle Leo got to his feet with strength and swiftness we all thought he'd never had. He grabbed me by my upper arms and started turning me to the door.

"Calm down Katie, it's okay, they're just concerned." His voice was reassuring and gentle, I recognised that voice. It was the one he used to calm Trinity down and convince her not to get into a fight and get arrested. It always worked. Because I took a deep breath and followed him out onto the porch. I braced my arms on the wooden slats of the porch fence and took deep breaths. Uncle Leo just rubbed his hand on my shoulders.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong or should I go get Helen?"

I shook my head. "Mom doesn't understand, she says I shouldn't worry, but, I do. Uncle Leo, I'm sorry I shouldn't be fussing like this but I have a bad feeling. I want Trinity here, if this is how it affects you, I, I hope, its not like this for her."

He pulled me into a hug and I wiped my slow tears into his shirt collar. "Hush now Katie, it's all okay. I'm only like this 'cause I meddled with things I shouldn't. Trinity is fine, and your mum's right, you don't need to worry. Now have you put your catty claws away for now?"

I smiled and poked him. "That's not funny."

"You told Jubal yet?" He held the door open for me.

I looked down at the floor guilty. "No, but I have feeling I might not have to."

He lifted my chin and raised an eyebrow at me. "Is it serious between you two?"

I looked across the inn at Jubal who was talking with my mom, she looked like she was apologising for my harsh words. "I think it is. But there's no point, it wont work out. Love's a fairy tale after all."

He pinches my arm and I slap at him. He acts as though he's not ill, as though an unknown illness isn't ravaging his body from the inside out. He was so strong, yet this made him so weak at times.

"You've been hanging around with my daughter for too long. Speaking of which, where is she?"

"For all I know Atlántico."

I stood in front of our group and lowered my eyes. "I'm sorry I snapped at you Gregori, everyone. I guess I was just stressed and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have and I'm sorry."

Mom smiled at me and brushed her salt and pepper locks back off her face. "Its okay sweetie, I spoke to them." I looked at them to assure myself, they smiled back at me and I knew they forgave me. Even Gregori smiled softly, though I'm sure his wife had to encourage him to do it.

"Did you get a hold of Trinity in the end?" Uncle Leo asked as he settled back down.

I sat next to Jubal and tentatively took his hand. "Not quite, I left a message on her phone saying I was about to be massacred by a maniac wielding a spork. So she'll either call me worried, or just to tell me off." Raven giggled and threw Mikhail a glance. I ignored it and smiled.

"Probably the latter." Alec said as he placed his empty pint glass on the coffee table.

"Well maybe if you went into the family business, maybe it would have been a lot easier to have you drag her here." I poked my tongue out at the two dummies.

"It's not a family business." Mark muttered.

"What is the business?" Mikhail asked.

I smirked. "Bounty hunting, mostly after murderers and people who are wanted in at least two or three countries. Trinity's the best."

Uncle Leo chuckled as Mark and Alec burst out in protest at the same time.

"ITS NOT A FAMILY BUSINESS!"

I rolled my eyes. "Well it might as well be, both of you and Uncle Leo were chasing down people who were wanted. You practically kept our streets clean growing up. The only difference is Trinity has a license to do it."

"So you're saying your cousin…..hunts down…. People?" Raven asked eagerly as she leaned against Mikhail's arm.

"Not just people, the most wanted, vicious people, last year she went after a man who was ex SAS, went mad after a fight and completely snapped. He was at the top of his game and he was so good he managed to take out his unit and escape. He went on a rampage for the next five months and Trinity voluntarily took the job. He was wanted for fifty three murders. He was just killing anyone, he even killed his entire family. It took Trinity four months to find him, once she tracked him she managed to haul him back to County State, he broke out after three months of therapy. Trinity paid for it all, but once the therapists certified he was beyond help and would have to be submitted for life….well she said he was too much of a threat for society…she then paid for his coffin and funeral service. She was the only person who attended."

My mouth finally snapped shut and I realised everyone was staring..staring,staring….and still staring. Maybe I had said something wrong, maybe I'd rambled on again. I went through my words in my head and clicked. Ah, I hadn't really had a normal conversation had I?

"Damn woman, you make my baby sister sound like psychopath." Mark grumbled as he got to his feet.

"She's not the psychopath you are. Besides I'm sure everyone can see how she is such a deep person. Deep in her soul, she had compassion enough to stop the man hurting people, he wasn't in his right mind and she helped him find rest when they realised there was no hope. Kind of like when we all wanted to teach you vanity is ugly in people, so we stuck Nair in your leave in conditioner. You soon learned to smile with no hair."I shot to my feet as he tried to grab me. Alec and Uncle Leo started laughing.

"THAT WAS YOU!" Mark roared as he chased me around the sofa. We ran parallel to each other and I kept jerking to the side trying to get past him.

"Hey now, its about high time that you calmed down, I wouldn't even think about trying to catch me."

Jerking from side to side I made a dash to one of the dining tables and leapt on top of it, just in time to miss his hand as it skimmed past my ankle. Mark tripped and spun to catch himself. I took the opportunity to jump on his back, tightening my arms in an attempt to perform the headlock Trinity had taught me a few years back.

"Katie, get your skinny butt off me! I am so going to get you for this."

He spun in a circle and I tightened my hold, it didn't seem to faze him. We were both laughing like little kids, probably setting a terrible example for the kids in the place, and judging by the looks from all of the inns patrons, they were either amused or annoyed. Either way all I cared about was the fact that Mom was charging towards me, smoke nearly steaming from her nostrils she looked that mad.

I gripped Mark's ears and tugged on them like reins, I kicked my legs frantically. "Go, go! She's going to kill me!"


End file.
